Oh Great God and Father of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, we come before you acknowledging the abundant mercy that abounds toward us who believe. We praise you for your lovingkindness that you would take children of Adam and denizens of the domain of darkness and transfer us to the kingdom of Your Beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

But you did not simply transfer us from one kingdom to another. You adopted us as children, not by blood, not by the will of the flesh, nor by the will of man, but by Your Most Wise and Holy Counsel. You have made us joint heirs with Jesus, members of the family of God. For this you deserve honor, praise, and glory unto all eternity.

But Father, we have fallen short of living as sons of God. Although we have been adopted into a loving family with a Perfect Father, we do not love our own children as we ought. We have let the gift of children be an annoyance. We have taken their weaknesses and we’ve despised them; we have seen their sin and forgotten our own need for forgiveness; and we have failed to lovingly and diligently discipline them as you do so kindly and graciously for us.

We have forgotten that we were once those in need of a new family. That we were pitiable, poor, blind, and naked, hating each other and walking as if there was no God. Therefore, we have failed to love our neighbors as we ought. We have judged our neighbor too harshly. And at times, we’ve allowed our neighbors to live as the beasts of the Earth, having failed to proclaim your Righteous Law and Glorious Gospel to them.

We have failed to love the lives of others as we should by keeping from them the very Words of Life. As children of God and redeemed sinners, we should be most caring for those who are being led away to death. We have failed to open our mouths for the voiceless. We have turned a blind eye from protecting the most innocent and vulnerable among us: the preborn.

Our selfishness has caused us to keep our mouths shut when we should be speaking. Our fear of man lays a snare for us, yet we do not turn to You for encouragement as we ought. The blood of our little neighbors’ cries out to be avenged as those around us and even within Your Church have discarded the lives of so many unborn babies. O Lord, forgive us today for having committed these sins of hate toward our fellow man made in Your Image and strengthen us to do battle for those who cannot defend themselves. Give us grace to enter this fight with the weapons of Your Warfare and not fleshly, carnal weapons as we so often take up.

Cleanse us, Father, from all unrighteousness, and strengthen your weak children for the battle you’ve consigned us to fight. Amen.